Hannette Staack will remember that on this day she became two-time ADCC champion of the over 60kg category, when she insisted on a kneebar till the headstrong Penny Thomas tapped.

Luana Alzuguir will also remember fondly here campaign in the under 60kg. In the final, Alliance’s golden girl (the only gold-winning team member this ADCC) beat a game Sayaka Shioda by 3 to 0 by taking the Japanese grappler’s back.

On this day, Marcelo Garcia lost for the first time in the ADCC at his weight. Pablo Popovitch will remember the last 30 seconds of the under 77kg final, when he put all he had left into passing the three-time champion’s guard to take first place. Popovitch will remember that this was the third final in a row between the two, in the world cup of grappling. It’s 2 x 1 for the Alliance rep, but 2011 isn’t that far off.

Rafael Mendes will also remember the final minute of the under 66kg decider. He’ll recall how the match was drawn at 4 to 4, already in overtime, when he managed to make it to Cobrinha’s back, to make it 7 to 4 and take the gold. Before that, Rafa will remember that he submitted two-time champion Leo Vieira.

Xande Ribeiro will remember the strategy that put the brakes on the revelation of the event, Gerard Rinaldi, winner of the west coast USA trials, who dispatched favorites left and right in making it to the under 99kg final. Despite his disappointment in the absolute, Xande will cherish his second title in the event.

Fabricio Werdum will remember the title he conquered at home. The second championship that he controlled the over 99kg category of and the stands of the Pavilion that he galvanized. The fans he lent to friends while they competed.

Braulio Estima will have the greatest memories of the Sunday, September 27, that he spent in Barcelona. He’ll remember the dream day he spent in the same gymnasium a certain Dream Team enchanted the world in 17 years earlier. Braulio was nearly perfect. In the under 88kg category he caught the foot of Lovato. Then, he clamped a sightly triangle on Andre Galvao, for the gold.

In the absolute, the dream turned to reality. In less than a minute, he extended the arm of Finland’s Janne-Pekka. Then, he squeezed on the neck of Marcelo Garcia and scored 7 to 0 over Vinicius Magalhaes.

When asked about the final of the absolute, Braulio will remember that he went after Xande from the start, that he nearly got the finish with a beautiful triangle and later with an arm attack. He’ll also remember that Xande’s bad luck was his good fortune whenhis adversary gave up, betrayed by an arm injury.

When asked speak of his time winning his weight and the absolute categories of the ADCC, repeating the feat of Ze Mario (1998), Mark Kerr (2000) and Roger Gracie (2005), perhaps Braulio will break into tears like he did in the gymnasium in Barcelona. It’s also possible that time will bring Braulio to believe in his own achievement, which he hadn’t managed to do yet as he exited the Badalona Municipal Pavilion.

Hannette Staack will remember that on this day she became two-time ADCC champion of the over 60kg category, when she insisted on a kneebar till the headstrong Penny Thomas tapped.

Luana Alzuguir will also remember fondly here campaign in the under 60kg. In the final, Alliance’s golden girl (the only gold-winning team member this ADCC) beat a game Sayaka Shioda by 3 to 0 by taking the Japanese grappler’s back.

On this day, Marcelo Garcia lost for the first time in the ADCC at his weight. Pablo Popovitch will remember the last 30 seconds of the under 77kg final, when he put all he had left into passing the three-time champion’s guard to take first place. Popovitch will remember that this was the third final in a row between the two, in the world cup of grappling. It’s 2 x 1 for the Alliance rep, but 2011 isn’t that far off.

Rafael Mendes will also remember the final minute of the under 66kg decider. He’ll recall how the match was drawn at 4 to 4, already in overtime, when he managed to make it to Cobrinha’s back, to make it 7 to 4 and take the gold. Before that, Rafa will remember that he submitted two-time champion Leo Vieira.

Xande Ribeiro will remember the strategy that put the brakes on the revelation of the event, Gerard Rinaldi, winner of the west coast USA trials, who dispatched favorites left and right in making it to the under 99kg final. Despite his disappointment in the absolute, Xande will cherish his second title in the event.

Fabricio Werdum will remember the title he conquered at home. The second championship that he controlled the over 99kg category of and the stands of the Pavilion that he galvanized. The fans he lent to friends while they competed.

Braulio Estima will have the greatest memories of the Sunday, September 27, that he spent in Barcelona. He’ll remember the dream day he spent in the same gymnasium a certain Dream Team enchanted the world in 17 years earlier. Braulio was nearly perfect. In the under 88kg category he caught the foot of Lovato. Then, he clamped a sightly triangle on Andre Galvao, for the gold.

In the absolute, the dream turned to reality. In less than a minute, he extended the arm of Finland’s Janne-Pekka. Then, he squeezed on the neck of Marcelo Garcia and scored 7 to 0 over Vinicius Magalhaes.

When asked about the final of the absolute, Braulio will remember that he went after Xande from the start, that he nearly got the finish with a beautiful triangle and later with an arm attack. He’ll also remember that Xande’s bad luck was his good fortune whenhis adversary gave up, betrayed by an arm injury.

When asked speak of his time winning his weight and the absolute categories of the ADCC, repeating the feat of Ze Mario (1998), Mark Kerr (2000) and Roger Gracie (2005), perhaps Braulio will break into tears like he did in the gymnasium in Barcelona. It’s also possible that time will bring Braulio to believe in his own achievement, which he hadn’t managed to do yet as he exited the Badalona Municipal Pavilion.

Four days from the star of the 2009 event in Barcelona, the GRACIEMAG.com ADCC 2009 Blog offers up a ranking of the athletes in the tournament’s overall history. In putting it together, we lay out all the results since the first installment of the competition and attribute points according to the importance of each position on the winners’ stand (you will find the points listed below.

With his win over Ze Mario in 2001, Kerr leads the Ranking, whereas the "Zen Machine" is runner-up even without competing since 2003. Photo: Luca Atalla

According to the criteria adopted for the GRACIEMAG ADCC Athletes Ranking, 67 athletes scored points and guaranteed their places on the list.

For the time being, we release only the male rankings, but the female one is on the way.

The following points criteria was applied:

1.Absolute champion – 20pts

2.Weight category champion – 17pts

3.Supermatch winner – 15pts

4.Absolute runner-up – 13pts

5.Weight category runner-up – 11pts

6.Supermatch runner-up – 9pts

7.Absolute third place – 7pts

8.Weight category third place – 5pts

9.Most technical athlete – 3pts

10.Best match participant – 2pts

In the event of an even number of points, the athlete with wins of greater significance takes the lead. For example, even with the same number of wins, the athlete with an absolute title will be ranked ahead of the athlete who won a weight division.

Check out the GRACIEMAG ADCC Athletes Ranking

According to the criteria adopted for the GRACIEMAG ADCC Athletes Ranking, 67 athletes scored points and guaranteed their places on the list.

For the time being, we release only the male rankings, but the female one is on the way.

The following points criteria was applied:

1.Absolute champion – 20pts

2.Weight category champion – 17pts

3.Supermatch winner – 15pts

4.Absolute runner-up – 13pts

5.Weight category runner-up – 11pts

6.Supermatch runner-up – 9pts

7.Absolute third place – 7pts

8.Weight category third place – 5pts

9.Most technical athlete – 3pts

10.Best match participant – 2pts

In the event of an even number of points, the athlete with wins of greater significance takes the lead. For example, even with the same number of wins, the athlete with an absolute title will be ranked ahead of the athlete who won a weight division.

Andre Galvao has dedicated the last 12 months of his life to MMA. Since August 2008 he’s had four fights, winning three by submission and suffering one split (and controversial) decision loss, at Dream. Now the two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion (2005, 2008) and runner-up (2006 and 2007) is back in the grappling game.

His win over Cacareco

The Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured in two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner, as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.

Direct from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the caliber of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke with the GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following to say:

Blog: How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?

Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi. I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.

Blog: To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?

Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.

Blog: In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this year you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries? Would you risk pointing out a favorite?

Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho, Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is no favourite.

The Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured in two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner, as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.

Direct from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the caliber of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke with the GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following to say:

Blog: How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi. I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.

Blog: To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.

Blog: In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this year you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries? Would you risk pointing out a favorite?Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho, Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is no favourite.

Galvao vs Yoshida, ADCC 2007 absolute

Blog: You didn’t compete at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship but are returning to the ADCC. Why this preference?Galvao: I didn’t compete at the Worlds because I was training a lot without the gi for MMA. As for the ADCC, it’s a really good tournament. The recognition you receive is much greater than at the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, mainly in the realm I am in, which is MMA. And there are also the money prizes, which help a lot. But I love Jiu-Jitsu and am dying to compete at a Worlds.

Blog: Looking back, what would you consider to be your greatest moment in the ADCC?Galvao: Ah, for sure my matches with Cacareco, in the absolute third-place dispute in 2007, and with Mike Fowler, in the under 77kg third-place dispute. Those were great moments.

Arrochando Fowler

Blog: Can you recall any mistake you made in 2007 that you hope not to make this year?Galvao: In the under 77kg semifinal I was ahead on the scorecards against Pablo Popovitch and decided to open up to do something more. There was a minute left in the match and I ended up getting surprised by him.

Blog: To you, who is the best of all in the ADCC?Galvao: Roger Gracie. I remember in 2005 he finished everybory.

And what about you? Who is favored to win the under 88kg category? Leave your comment.

With less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took roll to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona Municipal Sports Pavilion.

Of course there will be last-minute changes and you will be able to keep up with all the flip-flops in names till the first exchange of grips right here. The organization promises 16 athletes for each male category. Now the female division will have eight per category.

Of 2007’s champions, only Demian Maia (under 88kg) and Roger Gracie will be out of this year’s event. Find out who is in as of now, category by category.

With less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took roll to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona Municipal Sports Pavilion.

Of course there will be last-minute changes and you will be able to keep up with all the flip-flops in names till the first exchange of grips right here. The organization promises 16 athletes for each male category. Now the female division will have eight per category.

Of 2007’s champions, only Demian Maia (under 88kg) and Roger Gracie will be out of this year’s event. Find out who is in as of now, category by category.

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About the ADCC

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Wrestling Championship (ADCC) is a tournament created by Sheikh of the United Arab Emirates Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 1998 and it pits athletes from various styles of grappling arts against each other. The first four installments were annual and held in Abu Dhabi, and thereafter was held every other year, in locations around the world. Sao Paulo hosted the event in 2003, Long Beach in 2005, Trenton in 2007 and Barcelona will host the eighth event, on the 26th and 27th of September, 2009.